The European Union’s rapporteur on Turkey has described the recent disarmament move by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) as a “historic opportunity” and urged Turkish authorities not to waste it, calling for urgent legal reform and parliamentary involvement in any future peace process.
Speaking to Mezopotamya Agency on Saturday, Nacho Sánchez Amor welcomed Abdullah Öcalan’s latest peace appeal and the PKK’s response, saying it opened a “new window” for Turkey to dismantle its harsh anti-terror laws and align with EU democratic standards. He called the current legal framework a major barrier to democratic reform and a core reason for the stagnation in Turkey’s EU accession process.
“The anti-terror legal framework is a big obstacle to consider Turkey a real democracy,” said Amor. “It is used not only against real threats but also against students, activists, journalists and opposition politicians. If the PKK has truly abandoned political violence, there is no longer any justification for such repressive measures.”
The PKK, which has fought a decades-long armed conflict with the Turkish state, recently announced it would dissolve its organisational structures, following a public appeal by imprisoned Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan for a renewed peace process. Öcalan has been held in isolation on Turkey’s İmralı Island since 1999.
Amor emphasised the role of Turkey’s parliament in resolving the Kurdish issue, describing the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party as a “key stakeholder” and praising its efforts to engage across the political spectrum. “Parliament must be involved. The DEM Party is doing very well, acting responsibly and inclusively,” he said.
He also underlined that the EU would be willing to support the peace process if officially invited by Turkish authorities, but stressed that any involvement must respect Turkey’s sovereignty. “If we are requested, we will be very happy to assist. But this is an internal issue, and only Turkey can invite others into the process.”
Amor linked progress on legal reform to broader EU objectives, including visa liberalisation and the revival of the frozen accession process. He said Turkey’s current trajectory—marked by democratic backsliding and widespread use of anti-terror laws—makes renewed talks impossible under existing conditions.
Criticising pro-government narratives that suggest military strength can secure EU membership, Amor was clear: “To be a member of the European Union is about democracy, not about drones. Montenegro will become a member well before Turkey if things remain as they are.”
He also accused judicial authorities in İstanbul of politically motivated prosecutions, pointing out that most high-profile anti-terror cases originate from the same prosecutor’s office. “This legal machinery is used to silence dissent across society. Half the country has, at some point, been accused of aiding terrorism.”
The European Council has repeatedly called on Turkey to bring its laws into line with European standards. Amor said the PKK’s disarmament could finally allow the government to heed that call—and pave the way for a long-awaited political resolution to the Kurdish question.
